During my undergrad, I studied steady: 30-minute sessions; 15-minute breaks. I scored the highest grade in most every math class. To quash resentments, I reassured classmates I had no life. I revealed I’d visit a nursing home Saturdays followed by Greek pizza. And study. Nothing else.

When cramped in a cubbyhole studying seems easy, organizing easier. I’d peer at the same calendar, the same books, the same four walls. Steady.

But then I joined a ballet troupe, which led to weightlifting, boxing, and cycling to school. Plus, I began part-time work. Pressed for time, my near-perfect GPA dipped. And my study time turned cram-session.

Some of us thrive on last minute. One barista wrote five papers in one night. She researched her papers before the cram, but typed them all in one sitting. She got A’s and B’s—even an A+. One of her high school teachers taught brilliant English, she said. Worked for her. Wouldn’t work for me.

Brimming with extracurriculars, I barely ended with a master’s degree.

But that was over a decade ago. Now that I’ve returned to school, I barely find time to focus. Instead, I work freelance, seek full-time work, and exercise. I exercise over an hour each day, my fitness routine inching toward two hours. My reward for pre-bedtime study? Ten-minute ab workouts. Nothing like nighty-night hard abs.

In other words, I’ve got little time for study. I focus on readings and projects, but assignments get sidelined. The day I add full-time work, I won’t need hard abs; I’ll need a facelift—to my study time.

Thomas R. Klassen and John A. Dwyer help us focus and stay organized in their book How to Succeed at University (And Get a Great Job!): Mastering the Critical Skills You Need for School, Work, and Life.